Posted July 18, 200519 yr From ThisWeek Newspapers, 7/14/05: City continues planning for old Big Bear site, other redevelopment properties Thursday, July 14, 2005 By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer A draft overview of a potential development vision for the area of Grandview Heights that includes the former Big Bear properties off of Goodale Boulevard and West Third Avenue has been presented to city council. The draft is a result of preliminary work done last fall by the Planning Commission and director of administration Patrik Bowman. "We're at the point now where we would like to embark on a more deliberative planning process," Bowman said. "We want to come up with a new vision that can be included as part of our overall community plan." With the loss of Big Bear and other businesses vacating the area since then, "this district is now the one in our city that has the most opportunity" for redevelopment, Bowman said. The Grandview Commerce District is a 100-acre area that is roughly bordered by the railroad tracks to the east, Goodale and West Third on the south and north, and the alley behind the apartments facing Northwest Boulevard. The 60-acre Big Bear properties are the centerpiece of the district, Bowman said. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/thisweek.php?edition=Grandview&story=thisweeknews/071405/Grandview/News/071405-News-618575.html
August 26, 200519 yr Author From Columbus Business First, 8/22/05: Interest rising for former Big Bear warehouse space Brian R. Ball Business First The fate of the former Big Bear Stores warehouse complex in Grandview Heights, which has been unsettled for 20 months, may have reached a turning point. Developers based in Toledo and Troy, Mich., are potential joint-venture buyers of the central and northern portions of the 54-acre complex. Meanwhile, a related office-and-warehouse property off Goodale Boulevard has been put into contract. Documents filed in the bankruptcy case of Olentangy Commerce Center LP, owner of the complex's northern segment at 851 W. Third Ave., show Park West Development LLC of Toledo and Kirco Development LLC of Michigan have started negotiating to buy the property or the mortgage on the property from lender Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/08/22/story8.html
September 10, 200519 yr Author From Business First of Columbus, 6/5/06: Equity, NRI in Big Bear hug Business First of Columbus - June 2, 2006 by Brian R. Ball Business First Two Central Ohio developers are poised to team up on redevelopment of the former Big Bear warehouse and distribution complex in Grandview Heights. Public records show Columbus-based Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. and Equity Inc. of Worthington last month paid $2.95 million to buy 770 Goodale Blvd., the southernmost 8-acre section of the 54-acre complex. The complex has sat empty since Penn Traffic Co. closed its Big Bear supermarket chain in 2004 as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Speculation has circulated in the real estate community that Equity has been eyeing the three properties making up the complex, but a purchase of the southern parcel by NRI Equity Land Investments LLC is the first public move by the firm. The involvement of Nationwide Realty, master developer of the Arena District in Columbus, comes as more of a surprise. Bowman acknowledged he had heard Nationwide Realty's prospective involvement mentioned once in the handful of discussions with Equity, but he didn't know the depth of the company's participation. Executives at Nationwide Realty and Equity declined to comment on their development plans. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/06/05/story1.html?from_rss=1
January 4, 200619 yr Grandview Heights trying to add jobs, expand tax base Wednesday, January 04, 2006 Kirk D . Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Grandview Heights officials plan to step up efforts this year to find a developer to convert the closed Big Bear distribution center into something that generates income for the city. Work will continue on other development projects begun in 2005, officials say. In the two years since Big Bear folded, Grandview Heights has been seeking businesses to stop the financial bleeding caused by the loss of the city’s largest employer. Officials say they will look back at 2005 as a year in which the city shifted focus from the old warehouses and industrial buildings erected after World War II. The developments now emphasize remodeled and newly constructed offices. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/01/04/20060104-E4-00.html
February 21, 200619 yr Author The latest on the Grandview Big Bear site from the 2/15/06 Tri-Village News: Former Big Bear property sells at sheriff's auction By KHALILA PERRIN City officials celebrated good news Friday as the largest portion of the long-vacant Big Bear Stores complex sold at Franklin County Sheriff's auction Friday. http://www.snponline.com/NEWS2-15/2-15_tvbearsell.htm
April 3, 200619 yr Incentive deals may boost Goodale redevelopment Business First of Columbus - March 31, 2006 by Brian R. Ball, Business First Redevelopment of the Goodale Boulevard commercial strip in Grandview Heights could shift into higher gear with a handful of tax incentives being considered by City Council. Conrad Phillips Vutech, a marketing and advertising agency, is joining with Salvato Coe & Gabor Associates, a corporate communications firm, as proposed anchors of a 15,700-square-foot office building that developer Eclipse Real Estate Group has planned for 1398 Goodale Blvd. Read more at http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/03/31/story5.html?from_rss=1
August 3, 200618 yr Former Big Bear site may get new life Grandview Heights warehouse complex might be used for housing, stores Thursday, August 03, 2006 Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Two central Ohio development companies have secured much of the former Big Bear warehouse and are making plans to build housing, offices and stores at the Grandview Heights site. Nationwide Realty Investors, the developer of the Arena District, has joined with Equity to buy several parcels on the northern and southern ends of the sprawling, 60-acre complex. Penn Traffic abandoned the site two years ago when it declared bankruptcy and closed its Big Bear supermarkets. Read more at http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/03/20060803-F1-02.html
August 3, 200618 yr How many inner-ring suburbs in the country are blessed with having 60 acres available to convert into a mixed-use development? Grandview has the most potential our of any suburb in Columbus. They've got the right people on board too (NRI)!
August 3, 200618 yr yeah that is exciting news. a defunct grocery store chain opens up a lot of available acreage. anything going on at the other old big bear grocery sites?
August 3, 200618 yr I think most of the stores have been taken over by Giant Eagle. This site is for the main distribution warehouse. Big Bear going belly-up may have been a blessing in disguise for Grandview.
August 3, 200618 yr ahh thanks, i did not know big eagle was in town. i should have known old bb grocery store sites were not just sitting there empty. i am surpised giant eagle did not take the warehouses too tho. i guess they have their own. good for grandview & cols and yay that nationwide is on your side! :clap:
August 12, 200618 yr Author From the 8/9/06 Tri-Village News: Investors continue bids for former Big Bear site The city hopes the dormant land will become a vibrant, mixed-use development. By KHALILA PERRIN Two months after purchasing its first stake in 60 acres formerly owned by Big Bear, Nationwide Realty Investors and Equity closed on 30 more acres of the site July 31. The companies purchased the land for $11.1 million, according to Nationwide spokeswoman Michelle Chippas. Nationwide was the lead investor on this and an 8-acre purchase of the property made in May. Read more at http://snponline.com/NEWS8-9/8-9_tvbigbpr.htm
August 21, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Grandview, 8/17/06: Sale of Big Bear site 'thrills' city Officials also pleased about plans for mixed-use development Thursday, August 17, 2006 By ALAN FROMAN, [email protected] ThisWeek Staff Writer Grandview Heights Mayor Ray DeGraw describes himself as "thrilled" with the continuing purchase of the 60-acre site formerly owned by Big Bear. Nationwide Realty Investors and Equity have purchased the two outer portions of the property, about 38 acres in all, for a total of $114-million. The development partners are now negotiating to purchase the remaining middle portion of the site, Nationwide spokesperson Michelle Chippas told ThisWeek. "We've always put out there that this is a great area for quality redevelopment," DeGraw said. "We wanted to keep these properties together under one ownership, and that is what is happening. "We have a developer who has a track record of doing quality projects, and has the ability to do quality projects," he said. "I'm just thrilled and excited about the potential down there." Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=Grandview&story=thisweeknews/081706/Grandview/News/081706-News-205249.html
September 5, 200618 yr Author From Tri-Village News, 8/30/06: New zoning type would leave room for creativity By KHALILA PERRIN Planning and administration committee members will continue to hash out the details of an ordinance meant to encourage "ingenuity" among developers next month. Grandview Heights City Council members reviewed the draft ordinance to establish Planned Unit Development zoning at their Aug. 21 meeting, according to information from the city. They seemed poised to pass the legislation, which is in its sixth reading. Read more at http://www.snponline.com/NEWS8-30/8-30_tvcouncil.htm
September 18, 200618 yr Author From Business First of Columbus, 9/15/06: Real Estate Final Big Bear warehouse site sold Business First of Columbus - September 15, 2006 by Brian R. Ball, Business First Nationwide Realty, Equity close on last Big Bear site Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. and Equity Inc. have acquired the last of the three sections of the former Big Bear Stores Co. warehouse complex in Grandview Heights. The developers' NRI Equity Land Investments LLC affiliate paid Penn Traffic Co., the parent of the former supermarket chain, $4.5 million for the final 20 acres of the 60-acre complex that stretches along the western edge of the municipality. The companies filed the deed with the Franklin County Recorder's Office on Sept. 5, even though Penn Traffic executives signed the document July 25. The most recent acquisition includes a 100,000-square-foot cooler warehouse. The partnership paid $2.95 million in May for 770 W. Goodale Blvd., the former Big Bear headquarters site that contained a 270,000-square-foot office and warehouse complex. On July 31, NRI Equity Land Investments paid $11.1 million for the 29.5-acre section that includes a 536,300-square-foot office and warehouse complex and at 50,000-square-foot office building. Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis said earlier the joint venture had no plans to redevelop the site immediately, but it was working on conceptual designs for a commercial and residential project. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/09/18/newscolumn1.html
October 29, 200618 yr Author From ThisWeek Grandview, 10/26/06: Grandview Planning Commission Commerce district ideas sent to council Thursday, October 26, 2006 By ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek Staff Writer The Grandview Heights Planning Commission Oct. 18 voted to send back to city council a planning document regarding the Grandview Commerce District between Third Avenue and Goodale Boulevard and recommend it be included as part of a revised community plan. Council has expressed interest in proceeding with the community plan update that was begun by the planning commission about two years ago. Director of administration Patrik Bowman asked the commission to review and consider whether the document's recommendations regarding the Grandview Commerce District still accurately reflect its views on future redevelopment there. The area in question includes the former Big Bear properties, which make up about 60 acres of the 100-acre district. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=grandview&story=sites/thisweeknews/102606/Grandview/News/102606-News-247063.html
December 10, 200618 yr Commerce district planning set to begin Thursday, December 7, 2006 By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer Although a public meeting originally scheduled for Dec. 18 to initiate a planning process to address future land use of the area known as Grandview's commerce district has been postponed, the effort is expected to begin shortly after the new year. Council will be working to ultimately come up with strategies that express the community's desire for redevelopment of the commerce district, he said. The district is about 100 acres on the city's east side generally bounded by Third Avenue, the Conrail tracks, Goodale Boulevard and Edgehill Drive. It includes the former Big Bear parcels, almost 60 acres in total size, that are owned by Nationwide Realty Investments and Equity Inc. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?sec=home&story=sites/thisweeknews/120706/Grandview/News/120706-News-275607.html
September 18, 200717 yr I just noticed this previous thread on the same subject I started a new topic on. I will go ahead and merge my recent posts here. Please feel free to delete the other thread. From columbusunderground.com comes a discussion about an article from SNP Newspapers about Nationwide Realty Investors (NRI) buying properties in Grandview. NRI is the real estate arm of Nationwide Insurance and is responsible for developing the Arena District. These properties in Grandview are less than a mile from the Arena District in Downtown Columbus. Naturally, people are wondering what NRI might have in mind for the Grandview properties - but according to the article NRI has nothing to share yet. Link to the SNP article: http://www.snponline.com/articles/2007/09/10/tri-village_news/front/cn-p%20allna_20070905_0529pm_2.txt
September 18, 200717 yr Below is a link to a nice hi-lighted Google Map of the Grandview Heights property in question from the Columbus Retro Metro site: link: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&om=1&msa=0&msid=109118455093969981745.000439fbec3a87d8cf619&ll=39.978863,-83.027329&spn=0.01151,0.016308&z=15&source=embed And here's the RetroMetro link: http://columbusretrometro.typepad.com/columbus_retrometro/2007/09/nationwide-snat.html#comments
September 18, 200717 yr Article from Business First . . . Nationwide Realty buying more in Grandview Business First of Columbus - September 14, 2007 by Brian R. Ball, Business First Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. and Equity Inc. continue to pick up property around the former Big Bear Stores Co. complex off Goodale Boulevard in Grandview Heights as the city awaits a redevelopment plan for up to 100 acres. Public records show the developers acquired three parcels with four buildings on 7.3 acres in early August from Dayton-based Court Realty Ltd. under the 838-890 W. Goodale LLC name. The developers acquired the property in a transfer exempt from conveyance taxes, effectively masking the acquisition price. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/09/14/story4.html
September 19, 200717 yr And here's a lively discussion of Nationwide Realty Investors purchases in Grandview at the columbus underground website - - http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9630&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
September 23, 200717 yr GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS Grand plans for Big Bear property? Nationwide, Equity developers mum Sunday, September 23, 2007 4:01 AM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The new owners won't talk about the future of the old Big Bear property in Grandview Heights yet. But there are dots to connect. And the picture they create could determine the landlocked suburb's financial future. The loss of Big Bear's distribution center was a blow to Grandview's economy. Residents still are paying for it through a tax increase. Nationwide Realty Investors now controls the 60-acre Big Bear site. And there are 40 more acres in that area -- bordered by railroad tracks on the east and Northwest Boulevard on the west -- that might represent a tax-base gold mine for Grandview. The property, which is near the Arena District, Time Warner's new headquarters and the Lennox center, could become another signature area close to Downtown and Ohio State University. Grandview officials had mapped out the Grandview Commerce District even before Nationwide and its partner, Columbus-based Equity, entered the picture. The city's plan looks a lot like the Arena District. Read more at http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/09/23/GRANDVIEW_LAND.ART_ART_09-23-07_B1_JC800TS.html?sid=101
October 14, 200717 yr NRI, Equity buy more in Grandview Heights October 12, 2007 Brian B. Ball - Business First Equity Inc. and Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. have picked up another property in Grandview Heights and moved toward their goal of consolidating up to 100 acres to redevelop for a mixed-use project. The NRI Equity Land Investments LLC joint venture in late September paid $750,000 to the Follmer family trust for 851 Williams Avenue, the home of mechanical contactor Limbach Co's Columbus operation. The acquisition marks the latest property the developers have purchased since they bought the former Big Bear Stores Co. distribution complex in 2006. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/10/12/newscolumn1.html
December 4, 200717 yr City to hear plans for Big Bear site Thursday, November 29, 2007 ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek News Staff Writer Residents will be able to learn details about Nationwide Realty Investors and Equity's plans for redevelopment of the former Big Bear property on Goodale Boulevard at two meetings to be held next month. Grandview Heights City Council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 13, when city officials will review the proposed update of the community plan for the Goodale Boulevard area and also discuss the process for the city's consideration of Nationwide's plans for the 60-acre site. Representatives of Nationwide are expected to attend the Dec. 19 Grandview Planning Commission meeting and make an informal presentation about the redevelopment plan for the Big Bear property. The developer will not be making a formal application at the meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?sec=home&story=sites/thisweeknews/112907/Grandview/News/112907-News.html
December 13, 200717 yr Grandview seeks ideas for former Big Bear land Thursday, December 13, 2007 3:13 AM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Grandview Heights is inviting residents to a meeting tonight to talk about plans for the former Big Bear property. On Wednesday, Nationwide Realty Investors will take its turn. Nationwide Realty and Equity, a real-estate company, controls more than 60 acres between Goodale Boulevard and W. 3rd Avenue; 40 additional acres in that area are also available for development. "Residents are concerned about what it will look like and what the goals of the city are," said Patrik Bowman, Grandview's development director. He said the suburb, which has lost significant commercial tax base in recent years, "needs all the revenue it can get." The Big Bear warehouse employed 300 people and generated about $400,000 in income tax annually for Grandview Heights when it closed in 2004 after its parent company, Penn Traffic, declared bankruptcy. Grandview planners would like to see offices, housing and stores developed there. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/13/BIG_BEAR_LAND.ART_ART_12-13-07_B4_808OTCJ.html?sid=101
December 19, 200717 yr Development named 'Grandview Yard' Wednesday, December 19, 2007 3:49 PM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Grandview Yard. That’s the name of the commercial, retail and residential development planned for the old Big Bear site in Grandview Heights. The developer of the project, Nationwide Realty Investors, also developed the Arena District that includes offices, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as residential units. Investment in the project is now $700 million, NRI President Brian Ellis said. “(Grandview Yard) will have significant similarities to the Arena District,” Ellis told members of the Columbus Metropolitan Club at their meeting at the Columbus Athletic Club yesterday afternoon. The development is estimated at $600 million to $650 million on 80 to 90 acres. It’s the sort of multi-use development Grandview Heights city officials want to see in the 100-acre site bordered by Goodale Boulevard on the south, 3rd Avenue on the north, railroad tracks on the east and an alley near Northwest Boulevard on the west. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/19/grandview_yard.html
December 20, 200717 yr Plan would transform old Big Bear property Nationwide sees stores, offices, homes Thursday, December 20, 2007 3:10 AM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The old Big Bear property on Grandview Heights' eastern edge is slated for a 10-year, $650 million makeover. The result, says developer Nationwide Realty Investors, will be Grandview Yard. It's slated to be home to national and regional retailers, offices, 5,000 jobs, 800 to 1,200 new Grandview residents and $5 million in new tax income. Those taxes would double Grandview's current take, city officials said. Work could begin in mid-2009 with possible completion of a first phase in 2010, said Brian Ellis, Nationwide Realty president. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/20/GRANDVIEW_YARD.ART_ART_12-20-07_B1_O38R212.html?sid=101
January 19, 200817 yr Grandview Yard Brooks: County will cooperate with city on redevelopment Thursday, January 17, 2008 ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek Staff Writer Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks attended the Jan. 9 Grandview Heights City Council meeting to discuss the regional cooperation that will be needed regarding Nationwide Realty Investors' proposed Grandview Yard development. Nationwide has proposed a redevelopment of the former Big Bear warehouse property and adjacent properties in Grandview into an urban mixed use that would include office, retail and residential components. "I'm very excited about the Grandview Yard project," Brooks told council. "It will be good not only for Grandview, but for Upper Arlington, downtown and good for the university." The county is ready to work with the city as it goes through the negotiation and review process for the project, she said. Read more at http://thisweeknews.com/?sec=grandview&story=sites/thisweeknews/011708/Grandview/News/011708-News-483226.html&tab=tab1
January 23, 200817 yr Posting an older article about the proposed Grandview Yard project. I think it got deleted during the year-end server switch. I just re-found it. Downtown's new backyard Grandview Heights applauds development plan Friday, December 21, 2007 - 3:09 AM By Martin Rozenman, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/12/21/THE_YARD.ART_ART_12-21-07_C12_FR8RB9G.html?sid=101
January 26, 200817 yr Additional information on the proposed Grandview Yard project can be found at http://www.grandviewwatch.org. Different perspective too. This site is quite skeptical of developer and government proposals.
February 8, 200817 yr Grandview Yard Mayor updates council on project Thursday, February 7, 2008 ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer Mayor Ray DeGraw presented Grandview Heights City Council with an update Saturday on issues relating to Nationwide's proposed Grandview Yard project. The mayor's presentation was held during council's annual retreat. Nationwide has proposed redeveloping the former Big Bear warehouse site and other adjacent properties it owns, a total of about 85 acres, into an urban mixed use neighborhood. Grandview Yard would include retail, office and residential uses, with total commercial space of between 1.5- and 2-million square feet and between 600 and 800 residential units. "To me the issue here is does it provide a net financial gain for the city," DeGraw said. "It's a wonderful project, but it need to be a net gain" for the community. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/020708/Grandview/News/020708-News-492820.html
February 23, 200817 yr No mention of Junctionview Studios at all in this thread? Weird. Once of the city's premiere independent artist destinations is located in one of those buildings that NRI just closed on last week. Thankfully NRI is playing nice and renewing their lease for awhile before they start tearing this place apart, but everyone needs to haul ass over there to Junctionview before it's gone to enjoy some of the best that Columbus arts culture has to offer. I'll be heading over there tomorrow for SPARK: http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=485 More info about the space can be found here: http://junctionviewstudios.com/ The monster event AGORA will be coming again up in a few months. They normally attract a few thousand people for that. Very worth going to: http://www.agoracolumbus.com This building is also home to the Couchfire Collective, one of the most prominent and proactive Independent Arts Groups in Columbus: http://www.thecouchfire.org
February 23, 200817 yr Seriously. Come check this out tonight. Starts at 6pm. I'll probably be there from around 7pm to 8pm. Take some photos of the area and check this spot out before it gets turned into the Grandview Yard. Also... FREE PBR! <img src="http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3/sparkfinalcopy2es6.jpg">
March 1, 200817 yr City (of Grandview Heights) to hold public hearing Thursday, February 28, 2008 ThisWeek Community Newspapers The city of Grandview Heights will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, at the Municipal Building, 1016 Grandview Ave. The hearing will be an opportunity for the public to give its input as Grandview City Council considers a proposal to update a portion of the community plan related to the Grandview Commerce District. The district includes the former Big Bear warehouse property and the site of the proposed Grandview Yard urban mixed-use development. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/022808/Grandview/News/briefs/022808-News-503483.html
March 7, 200817 yr <img src="http://www.grandviewyard.com/img/grandviewyard_conceptualplan.jpg"> <img src="http://www.grandviewyard.com/img/grandviewyard_arielview.jpg">
March 7, 200817 yr Is it wrong for me to be impressed by the aerial? I love aerials :). "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 25, 200817 yr New requirements tighten TIF eligibility Thursday, March 20, 2008 ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek Staff Writer The city of Grandview Heights is in the early stages of negotiating a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement with Nationwide Realty Investors for the developer's Grandview Yard project. But before the agreement can be finalized, the city must take two preliminary steps now required by the state when a TIF is for a development that includes a residential component. The Grandview Yard development at the former Big Bear site will be a urban mixed use project including office, commercial and residential components. The state requires that an area must be declared a "blighted area" before a TIF can be enacted for residential development. In addition, a city must be identified as an "impacted city" and develop a plan to show its housing needs and how it will meet those needs. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?sec=grandview&story=sites/thisweeknews/032008/Grandview/News/032008-News-513553.html&tab=tab1
March 25, 200817 yr Companion article with the above TIF article in ThisWeek News... City must define 'blight' in order to structure a TIF Thursday, March 20, 2008 ThisWeek News Patrik Bowman (Patrik Bowman is director of administration and development for the city of Grandview Heights) Read more athttp://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/032008/Grandview/News/032008-News-513613.html&sec=grandview&tab=tab1
April 18, 200817 yr City seeks grant for Grandview Yard Thursday, April 17, 2008 ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer The city of Grandview Heights is preparing to apply to participate in the Ohio Department of Development's Job Ready Sites (JRS) Program. The city will be seeking a grant of up to $5-million to be used to help pay for infrastructure costs associated with the Grandview Yard project, according to Patrik Bowman, the city's director of administration and economic development. "We will be vying with other applicants from around the state," Bowman said. "It will be a very competitive process." The state will offer about $46-million in total grants for 2008-09, he said. Grant requests for both years will be considered this year. If Grandview is awarded a grant, the funds would be used to help pay for water, sewer, road improvements or other infrastructure projects needed for the Grandview Yard project, Bowman said. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/041708/Grandview/News/041708-News-526682.html
April 28, 200817 yr Talk begins on Grandview Yard zoning Thursday, April 24, 2008 ALAN FROMAN, ThisWeek Staff Writer The Grandview Heights Planning Commission April 16 began a discussion about establishing zoning for the Grandview Yard development and the rest of the city's Commerce District. Planning facilitator Greg Dale of the planning and zoning consulting firm McBride Dale Clarion reviewed for the commission a draft discussion outline he and director of administration/economic development Patrik Bowman had prepared. The zoning change will be city-initiated, so there will be no formal application needed, Dale said. While the zoning would focus on the Grandview Yard site, it would also be applied to a larger area than the property Nationwide Realty Investors owns, he said. Although nothing is set in stone, it would be likely that a zoning overlay would be created, Dale said. That would mean the M-1 light industrial zoning would remain in place, he said. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/042408/Grandview/News/042408-News-530156.html
May 8, 200817 yr Revised Commerce District plan OK'd Thursday, May 1, 2008 By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer Grandview Heights City Council last week approved a revision of the community plan related to the Grandview Commerce District. The Commerce District is the portion of Grandview that includes the former Big Bear property, the site for Nationwide Realty Investors' Grandview Yard project. The entire district is about 100 acres on the city's east side generally bounded by Third Avenue, the railroad tracks, Goodale Boulevard and Edgehill Drive. Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/grandview/stories/2008/05/01/0501gvcommerceplan_ln.html?sid=104
May 13, 200817 yr Property owners concerned about 'blight' designation Thursday, May 8, 2008 By ALAN FROMAN ThisWeek Staff Writer Property owners voiced their concerns at Monday's Grandview City Council meeting about an ordinance to identify the Grandview Yard property and other surrounding parcels as being part of a blighted area. The designation would allow the city to negotiate a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement with Nationwide Realty Investors for improvements related to the Grandview Yard project. Bill Prophater Sr. of Creighton LLC and Style Line, 901 W. Third Ave., told council an appraiser has told him there is "no way" his building is blighted. He said he suspects his property is being included in the blighted area because Nationwide is directing the city to put in a road through the middle of his parcel. A map of the project area he has seen included a blue line through his property that seems to indicate plans for a road, Prophater said. Read more at http://thisweeknews.com/live/content/grandview/stories/2008/05/08/0508gvblight_ln.html?sid=104
May 18, 200817 yr Overlay district another tool in city's redevelopment The district in Grandview's commercial area could change zoning rules for new buildings but allow old ones to keep their current designations. By DONAVON CAMPBELL, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS Published: Monday, May 12, 2008 - 4:11 PM EDT City officials are exploring what could be the next step in the process to redevelop the commercial district of Grandview. Director of Administration and Economic Development Patrik Bowman said city officials met with the Planning Commission last month and got the go-ahead to begin researching the implementation of an overlay district in the commercial area of town that constitutes much of the land that could become the Grandview Yard mixed-use development. The overlay district also could include a portion of Northwest Boulevard that could see change as a result of the Yard as well as parts of Goodale Boulevard, Bowman said. An overlay district essentially is a zoning designation that would allow older buildings or businesses to retain their current zoning standards while simultaneously establishing a new set of zoning regulations for the redevelopment to come. "Instead of making existing properties suddenly nonconforming," said Bowman, "this leaves those basic zoning rights intact. All of the standards of the existing district will stay in place." Read more at http://columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2008/05/15/tri-village_news/news/tvoverlay%20_20080512_1059am_4.txt
July 19, 200816 yr Very interesting news item regarding Giant Eagle and the Grandview Yard redevelopment project... Giant Eagle stirs it up with permit Business First of Columbus Shop Talk - by Doug Buchanan Friday, July 18, 2008 Giant Eagle Inc. has created a commotion in Grandview Heights with an application for a liquor permit for a supermarket on the former Big Bear Stores Co. headquarters and warehouse site. Grandview Mayor Ray DeGraw said the July 1 application took officials by surprise since the city has yet to approve even a conceptual plan for the 90-acre Grandview Yard project, being developed by Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. and Equity Inc. "Nationwide has never put a grocery store on the table," DeGraw said. Part of the surprise stemmed from Giant Eagle's ongoing interest in a site not far away at Neil Avenue and Vine Street in the Arena District, where the grocer earlier this year also applied for a liquor permit. Nationwide Realty, which wants to redevelop another site close to Vine and Neil, has worked with Giant Eagle representatives at the Continental Realty Ltd. brokerage to get financial assistance from the city of Columbus for road and utility lines for both projects. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/07/21/tidbits1.html
July 21, 200816 yr Here's the second half of the Giant Eagle/Grandview Yard liquor permit story from Business First. The rest of the story gives a very different perspective on the update... Giant Eagle stirs it up with permit Business First of Columbus Shop Talk - by Doug Buchanan Friday, July 18, 2008 Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis said the application caught him unaware, even though he said Giant Eagle had talked about Grandview Yard as an option. Frank Kass, chairman of developer Continental Real Estate Cos., said he told Giant Eagle to seek the Grandview permit as a "pre-emptive' move in case the Columbus site does not work out. He also feared the limited number of permits for Grandview could dry up because of interest in the Grandview Yard project. "We encouraged them to get in line for a permit", Kass said. "That created a hubbub." He said the brouhaha has prompted Giant Eagle to withdraw the application. But Downtown and Short North residents still need an expanded Giant Eagle supermarket, he said, because its Victorian Village store has less than 25,000 square feet of retail space. "If we can't get a deal done", Kass said, "we still need to find a store to serve that area." Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/07/21/tidbits1.html
August 9, 200816 yr More progress on the Grandview Yard redevelopment project. Couple of articles about the vacant Big Bear warehouse buildings being removed as site prep begins for the project. All throughout this week the warehouses were being demo'd... Big Bear warehouses make way for Grandview Yard By DONAVON CAMPBELL, COLUMBUS LOCAL NEWS Published: Monday, August 4, 2008 - 2:07 PM EDT The city of Grandview Heights soon may begin to take on a different look as a pair of demolition projects a long time in the making get under way this month. Demolition began Monday, Aug. 4, on the dry goods warehouse and the refrigeration warehouse in the Big Bear warehouse complex, 770 W. Goodale Blvd. In addition, the former Knights Inn at the southeast corner of Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue is scheduled to come down later this month. "It's certainly progress," said Grandview City Council President Steve Reynolds. "I think it will be a positive sign for Grandview residents that they'll finally be able to see something (happening)." The demolition of the two Big Bear buildings, owned by Nationwide Realty Investors, is only the beginning of the much larger Grandview Yard redevelopment project that could turn the commercial district into a vibrant, mixed-use area. Read more at http://columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2008/08/05/multiple_papers/news/alltvdemol_20080804_0141pm_5.txt Warehouses coming down Monday, August 4, 2008 - 5:21 AM By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Nationwide Realty Investors soon will tear down two buildings at the former Big Bear warehouse site in Grandview Heights where it's planning the $500 million Grandview Yard. But that doesn't mean it's ready to begin redevelopment of the industrial complex, said Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis. The company will begin demolishing the 516,000-square-foot warehouse at 770 W. Goodale Blvd. this month. The warehouse, which faces Gowdy Field, consists of two buildings connected by a small walkway. Nationwide Realty will save the large Big Bear sign just in case it's useful. However, Ellis said, the buildings have no future in Grandview Yard. "They're more expensive to keep up than they are to tear down," he said. "It's summertime, and the timing is good for us to knock down those buildings." Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/08/04/ZONE0804.ART_ART_08-04-08_C10_CAATFCQ.html?sid=101 Brian Krall, 29, of Grandview, snaps a picture of the Big Bear Warehouse being demolished at 770 Goodale Blvd.
August 11, 200816 yr Nice to see those parcels being redeveloped. Hopefully this will lead to some tax $$$ for Gradview Heights when it's all said and done.
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